Counterbalancing means for pivoted motor suction cleaners



Mam}! 1954 L. E. SEGESMAN 2,671,924

COUNTERBALANCING MEANS FOR PIVOTED MOTOR SUCTION CLEANERS I Filed May15, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Louis ESe ges'man ATTORNEY.

March 16, 1954 'M N 2,671,924

COUNTERBALANCING MEANS FOR PIVOTED MOTOR SUCTION CLEANERS Filed May 13,1950 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

INVENTOR. Louis E Seyesmzm ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 16, 1954 COUNTERBALAN GIN G MEANS FOR PIVOTED MOTORSUCTION CLEANERS Louis E. Segesman, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The HooverCompany, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio I Application May 13,1950, Serial No. 161,878

4 Claims. -350) This invention relates to suction cleaners and moreparticularly to the type in which the motorfan unit is rotatably orpivotally mounted on the main body of the cleaner on a transversehorizontal axis such as disclosed and claimed in the United Statespatent to Burkhardt 2,225,621 dated December 24, 1940.

In machines of the above type the handle is rigid with the motor-fancasing and with the exhaust nozzle and the upper end of the filter bagis carried by the handle. According to the present invention the weightof the handle and filter bag is counterbalanced by a spring whichsurrounds one of the trunnions by which the motorfan casing is pivotallysupported.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent whentaken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the suction cleaner of this inventionwith certain parts broken away to show details;

Figur 2 is an end view of the cleaner of Fig. 1 with certain partsbroken away to show one of the supporting trunnions; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view through the trunnion taken on line 33 ofFig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Fig. 1 thereof the cleanerof this invention includes a main body 10 mounted for ambulatorymovement on front and rear wheels II and I2 respectively and having adownwardly facing nozzle [3 with a bumper l4 positioned along its frontedge.

A motor-fan casing I5 is pivotally mounted on the body I0 by a pair oftrunnions, one of which is generally indicated at l6, and the other ofwhich may be of the same construction as that disclosed in theabovementioned patent to Burkhardt. A handle socket I! and an exhaustnozzle l8 are rigid with the casing IS. A filter bag I9 has its loweropen end detachably connected to the nozzle I8 and its closed upper endsupported from the handle 20.

A hood 2| is mounted on top of the body I0 and partially embraces thecasing IS. A light transmitting lens 22 is positioned in front of thehood 2| to transmit light rays from a lamp 23 positioned behind the lens22 and electrically connected to the motor circuit by flexibleconductors 24. A furniture bumper or guard 25 extends across the frontof the hood 2| above the lens 22.

The motor-fan casing l5 includes a motor 2 housing 30 which extends intoa space in the body l0, otherwise unoccupied, which lies at the oppositeside of the cleaner from the suction passageway (not shown) whichextends upwardly and rearwardly from the nozzle [3 to the suction sideof the fan.

The trunnion I6 is shown in detail in Figs. 2 and 3 and comprises acup-shaped member 3! suitably secured to the end of the housing 30 andwhich encloses the bearing 32 for on end of the motor-fan shaft. Weldedor otherwise secured to the closed end of the cup 3| is a cupshapedmember 33 having its open end enclosing the open end of anothercup-shaped member 34 carried by a bracket 35 supported in an armateflange 36 of the main frame I 0. A coiled spring 31 is positioned withinthe cup-shaped members 33 and 34 and presses against the closed endsthereof to take up any end play in the pivotal supporting means.

A coiled counterbalancing spring 40 surrounds the trunnion it formed bythe cup-shaped members 3|, 33, and 34. At one end the coil spring 40 hasits hooked end 4| extending over an inturned lug 42 on bracket 35 and atits other end has a second hooked end 43 engaging about a pin 44extending outwardly from the end of the motor housing 38.

The spring 40 is so wound about the trunnion l6 and so tensioned thatmovement of the casing 15 in a clockwise direction by movement of thehandle 20 to its inclined operating position of use will additionallystress the spring 40 so as to tend to move the handle back to a verticalposition and thus counterbalance the weight of the handle 20 and of thefilter bag [9. The tensioning of the spring is such that the spring 40will just about carry the weight of the handle and bag when the handleis in its inclined position of use as shown in Fig. l.

A suitable stop may be provided to limit upward movement of the handleto a vertical storage position. Any suitable handle control detentmechanism may be provided to latch the handle in that position.

While I have shown but a single embodiment of my invention it is to beunderstood that that embodiment is to be taken as illustrative only andnot in a limiting sense. I do not wish to be limited to the specificstructure shown and described but to include all equivalent variationsthereof except as limited by the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A suction cleaner comprising, a body mounted for movement over asurface to be cleaned, a motor-fan unit including a casing, means forpivother end anchored to said casing and being so:

stressed as to tend to move said handle upwardly when said handle is inits position ofuse.

2. A suction cleaner according to 'claimr'ineluding an exhaust nozzlerigid lwithusaidccasing,

a filter bag having a lower-open endasecuredtto said exhaust nozzle anda closed upper end supported from said handle, saidtspringrbeing ksostressed as to substantially carry the weight of said handle and filterbag when said handleds in its inclined position of use.

A suction cleaner=according to claim t-lr-in which saidtrunniorip-includes an outwardly :opening cup-shaped-member secured to.the end ofl said casing and surrounding an inwardly opening cupshapedmember supported on said body so as to form a closed recess between theclosed ends of said members.

4. A suction cleaner according to claim 3 including a compression springpressing against the closed ends of said-cupeshaped members to take uprend play in "said pivotal :supporting means.

LOUIS E. SEGESMAN.

aReferenccswCited in the file of this patent zIINlSIED STA'IES PATENTSNuniber .lName Date 147,503 Johnson Feb. 17, 1874 13269338 Winfield June11, 1918 1,892,896 Kirby Jan. 3, 1933 119371765 Leathers Dec. 5, 19332,226,365 Becker Dec. 24, 1940 2j246;862 Smllie June-2451941 2253;997Becker "Aug; 26, 1941

